Get Fit Itasca
Creating pathways to a healthier you...
Success Stories
Creating Wellness in Small Communities
Worksite Wellness is an area that is ever expanding and can be extremely impactful! More and more organizations are prioritizing the health and wellness of employees. Here are some amazing success stories that explore the challenges, the creativity, the flexibity, and the amazing impact Worksite Wellness can have on an organization.
Challenges:
Time was one of the biggest concerns when the collaborative started. To address this concern, I asked each of the members if they felt they had one hour each month to dedicate to wellness. Most of the organizations said yes. This was my initial ask to my worksites, to start off dedicating one hour each month to wellness. Everyone in the collaborative was on board with this commitment and was amazed to see how much they could accomplish in one hour. They were soon able to put in more time and some were able to bring in a few more people. These efforts paid off in a big way for everyone.
Solution:
Be Timely. Be Flexible. Be Creative. Be Patient. These are the four guidelines that helped this worksite wellness collaborative succeed. When working with smaller organizations many cannot afford the extra time it takes to step out of the office for an extra meeting. This means that the traditional collaborative meetings may not work for everyone. Bring creative and flexible is crucial in making sure that everyone can be successful within the collaborative. As a result, one on one meetings became the go-to for this collaborative.
Results:
The Worksite Wellness Committee at Essentia -Health Deer River was quick to recognize the need of having healthy options available not only during cafeteria hours but also when the cafeteria was closed... After several months of planning, Take Charge Tuesday was ready for its debut. Employees could choose from a large or a small salad, both a flat rate. It was received with rave reviews. Take Charge Tuesday started as a monthly menu item but as demand increased for the fresh salads, it has now become a weekly staple in the Essentia-Deer River Cafeteria. This is what Amanda Reed, Essentia Health Deer River Employee and member of the Worksite Wellness Committee, had to say about worksite wellness and the community, “I appreciate the accountability Get Fit Itasca provides and how the program keeps us on task! I learn a lot about what other worksites are doing at the collaborative meetings and I find value in working directly with other community members. As a healthcare facility we need to take part in encouraging healthier standards within the community by setting the example within our own facilities.”
All of these are just small excerpts from Worksite Wellness Success Story out Deer River, MN. This Collaborative was able to improve their worksites as well as improve their community!